Research
Constitutionality and Forest Governance in the Bakossi Landscape
Field research on how traditional institutions and constitutionality principles shape forest governance in South-West Cameroon.
Abstract
This MSc thesis investigates how six constitutionality principles — centred on local perceptions, participatory processes, institutional recognition, and external influence — shape bottom-up forest governance in the Bakossi Landscape of Cameroon. It examines the interaction between traditional councils, Indigenous institutions, and formal conservation frameworks through extensive qualitative fieldwork.
Key findings
- Indigenous institutions play a decisive governance role when they are formally recognised within national conservation frameworks.
- Emic (insider) perspectives and power asymmetries are central to whether forest management is accepted locally.
- State recognition of grassroots institutions strengthens, rather than competes with, sustainable outcomes.
- Integrating local knowledge with national policy is a precondition for durable forest governance.
Methodology
Qualitative field research: focus groups and key-informant interviews with traditional councils and conservation officers, analysed against six constitutionality principles.